2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Electrical System Problems

THE AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATER CONTROLS KNOBS ON DASHBOARD. DO NOT TURN. CAN'T. ADJUST TEMPERATURE ELECTRICAL CERCUIT IN THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM HAS LOW VOLTAGE THAT CAUSES THE ENGINE.LIGHT TO CPME ON AND TURN OFF AT RANDOM. THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS ARE VERY WEEK IN LUMINS. WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND CITY STREETS , THE CAR ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN WITHOUT. ME PUSHING. ON THE FOOT PEDEL.. THE SUNROOF MOTER CAME UNATTENDED ON IT OWN.

THE VEHICLES KICK PLATE WHERE ALL THE WIRES CONNECT ARE ALL CORRODED ITS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH ALL EVOS THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL TO GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED. *TR

THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL KNOB WAS VERY HARD TO TURN ON THE AC/HEATER MODULE AND EVENTUALLY BROKE OFF. A FAILURE OF THE TEMPERATURE SELECTION COULD RESULT IN INABILITY TO DEFROST THE WINDSHIELD PROPERLY, RESULTING IN UNSAFE DRIVING ENVIRONMENT. *TR

TEMPERATURE KNOB WAS ALWAYS DIFFICULT TO TURN, THEN IT BROKE COMPLETELY OFF. NOT A PROBLEM FOR THE SUMMER (IT'S STUCK ON COLD) BUT NEEDS TO BE FIXED FOR THE WINTER SO THAT THE CAR CAN DEFROST THE WINDSHIELD. TECHNICIAN SAID IT WOULD BE BETWEEN $1500-2000 TO REPAIR BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO REMOVE THE DASHBOARD AND REPLACE THE ENTIRE KNOB PANEL PLUS FIX THE REAL PROBLEM WHICH IS THE "AIR MIX DOOR LEVER". APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR MISTUBISHI OWNERS AND THE COMPANY HAS NOT DONE A RECALL TO FIX IT; THEREFORE OWNERS ARE DROPPING $1000S OF DOLLARS TO GET THEIR CAR OPERATIONAL FOR SEASONAL TEMP CHANGES. ISN'T IT A SAFETY HAZARD IF YOUR DEFROSTER DOES NOT WORK??? *TR

MULTIPLE DASHBOARD LIGHTS ACTIVATED SIMPLTANEOUSLY (ABS, SRS, BATTERY, EMERGENCY BRAKE) AT THE SAME TIME THE HORN AND WIPERS MALFUNCTIONED IT WAS QUITE DISORIENTING AND HAPPENED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC IN A RAINSTORM! QUITE UNSAFE.

ALL THREE BRAKE LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING WITH NO WARNING. 1. NORMAL DRIVING TO AND FROM WORK, UNSURE OF ANYTHING LEADING UP TO FAILURE. WAS ALERTED BY ANOTHER DRIVER THAT WAS BEHIND ME WHILE DRIVING AND THEN PULLED UP NEXT TO ME AT A LIGHT. WAS LUCKY THERE WAS NO CRASH. 2. LIGHTS ARE COMPLETELY OUT, HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THEM BACK ON 3. HAVE CHECKED THE FUSE AS LABELED IN THE MANUFACTURERS HANDBOOK, CHECKED THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, CHECKED THE LIGHT BULBS, ALL ARE IN OK FASHION AND WORK WHEN TESTED SEPARATELY. *TR

THE HEATER KNOB ON MY MITSUBISHI LANCER WAS HARD TO TURN FROM HOT TO COLD FROM THE VERY FIRST TIME I GOT THE CAR WITH 65000 MILES. ONE DAY THE KNOB BROKE. I WENT TO THE OFFICIAL DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE HEATING DASHBOARD PIECE AND I PAID OVER 400.00. THE KNOB EVEN AFTER THIS WAS NOT EASY TO TURN AND AFTER A YEAR AND A HALF BROKE AGAIN. NOW I FIND THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALER NEVER MENTIONED THIS OR OFFERED ANY ALTERNATE SOLUTION WHEN I MENTIONED THE KNOB WAS STILL HARD. I CAN'T DEFROST MY WINDSHIELD SINCE I CANNOT CHANGE THE TEMPERATURE. MY WINDOWS GET ALL STEAMY AND I CAN'T SEE WHILE DRIVING. IF I TRY TO REACH UNDER THE DASHBOARD WHILE DRIVING TO MOVE THE PLASTIC PART THAT CONNECTS TO THE HEATER IS HAZARDOUS SINCE I HAVE TO BEND AND TRY TO REACH UNDER MY DASHBOARD. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL!! *KB

I HAD JUST LEFT MY HOME. I HAD NOT BEEN DRIVING FOR MORE THAN 2 MINUTES WHEN MY FRONT SPEAKERS SHUT OFF. I THEN START TO NOTICE A BURNING SMELL. I SEE THE INTERIOR START TO FILL UP WITH SMOKE. I THOUGHT IT WAS AN ENGINE FIRE AT FIRST UNTIL I NOTICED A FIRE IN MY PASSENGER DOOR SPEAKER. I PULLED OVER BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES. I MADE A CALL TO 911 TO SEND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THANKFULLY THE FIRE HOUSE WAS VERY CLOSE AND WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT BEFORE IT DAMAGED MORE THAN JUST THE DOOR. I HAVE THE DOOR AND SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE SCHEDULED TO BE REPAIRED AUG 18TH 2008. I HAVE NOT TAKEN APART, REPLACED, OR UPGRADED ANY DASH, RADIO OR ELECTRICAL COMPONENT OF THE CAR. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS. ADDITIONALLY I AM ALSO MISSING THE HEAT AND A/C KNOB AS IT BROKE OFF LAST WINTER. *TR

I HAD JUST ARRIVED FROM WORK AND PULLED-IN MY DRIVEWAY, I WAS IDLING MY CAR BEFORE SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE. I THEN SWITCHED OFF MY HEADLIGHTS, BUT THE HEADLIGHTS STAYED ON. I THEN PROCEEDED TO TURN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH ON, THEN OFF; AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS THE HEADLIGHTS FINALLY SWITCHED OFF, BUT THEN, THE HEADLIGHTS, PARKLIGHTS, MARKERS AND EVEN THE LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS WOULD FLICKER UNTIL THE IGNITION WAS SWITCHED OFF AND PULLED OUT THE KEY, BUT JUST BEFORE THIS INCIDENT I USED MY WIPERS TO CLEAR MY WINDSHIELD OF RAIN/MIST WITH A ONE WIPE/MANUAL SWEEP AND THE WIPERS JUST SEEMED THAT IT DIDN'T WANT TO STOP WIPING UNTIL THE IGNITION WAS SWITCHED OFF AND THE KEY PULLED OUT. THIS IS THE FIRST INCIDENT AND IT WAS RAINING OR HAD JUST RAINED. THE DEALERSHIP THEN REPLACED BOTH LIGHT AND WIPER SWITCHES AFTER DETERMINING THAT THERE WAS A SHORT. THIS SEEMED TO ADDRESS AND CORRECT THE PROBLEMS. THEN ON APRIL 28, 2008 I HAD JUST ARRIVED AT WORK AND WAS IDLING MY CAR BEFORE SWITCHING THE IGNITION OFF, AS I SWITCHED OFF THE LIGHTS THE HORN STARTED GOING OFF CONTINUOUSLY. IF THE LIGHTS WERE LEFT IN THE ON OR PARK POSITION, THE HORN WOULD STOP, BUT WHEN THE LIGHT SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF, IT DIDN'T STOP GOING OFF EVEN WHEN THE IGNITION WAS OFF AND THE KEY PULLED OUT. IT ONLY STOPPED AFTER THE FUSE WAS PULLED OUT. AGAIN, THE WEATHER WAS RAINING OR HAD JUST RAINED. I THEN DROPPED OFF MY CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY DETERMINED THAT WATER INTRUSION THROUGH THE DRIVER'S FRONT KICK PANEL TO JUNCTION BLOCK, INSTRUMENT HARNESS, FLOOR HARNESS AND CHASSIS HARNESS. CORROSION ON PINS AND CONNECTORS CAUSING FAILURES AND SHORTS TO ALL SYSTEMS. THEY HAD AN OUTSIDE VENDOR SEAL AROUND WIRING HARNESS BEHIND INNER FENDER WELL. AT THIS POINT NONE OF THE WIRINGS NOR HARNESS WERE REPLACED. I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WOULD ALL BE CUSTOMER PAY AND NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AS I HAVE EXCEEDED THE 3/36 WARRANTY PERIOD. WIPERS HORN AND REMOTE UN/LOCK DON'T WORK. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION. AT 65,000 MILES, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT TURN OFF WHEN THE KEY WAS RELEASED FROM THE IGNITION. THE ONLY WAY TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE WAS BY REMOVING A FUSE. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD ACTIVATE BY THEMSELVES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A CORRODED WIRING HARNESS. THE FAILURE WAS CORRECTED TEMPORARILY, BUT THEN THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, HIGH BEAMS, FOG LIGHTS, HEADLIGHTS, AND PARKING LIGHTS FAILED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT FIVE WIRING HARNESSES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE IS NOT CURRENTLY REPAIRED DUE TO THE COST OF THE REPAIR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

SENSOR ONE HAD AN INTERNAL FAILURE. MITISUBISHI SERVICE TECH STATED IT WAS DUE TO THE BAD GAS IN NORTH CAROLINA. ACCORDING TO THAT IT WOULD BE MANUFACTURING PROBLEM. BUT WAS TOLD SINCE NO RECALLS, WOULD HAVE TO PAY $400 PLUS TAX TO HAVE IT FIXED. IF NOT FIXED WOULD AFFECT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND WOULD CAUSE THE CAR NOT TO RUN. *TR

WHEN I FIRST GOT THE LANCER IN 2003 ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I NOTICED THAT THE KNOB FOR THE AIR AND HEAT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT TO TURN. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS JUST A LITTLE STICKY , AND IF I KEPT TURNING IT WOULD WORK ITSELF OUT AND BE FINE. I AVOIDED USING IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT NEVER GOT BETTER. A YEAR OR SO LATER I HAD TO TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR A FACTORY RECALL, AND DURING THAT VISIT I ONCE AGAIN ASKED ABOUT THE KNOB. THE TECHNICIAN LOOKED UNDER THE PANEL AND SAID IT WAS JUST STICKING A BIT AND PUT SOME GREASE ON THE GEARS AND SAID TO JUST WORK IT, TURN IT BACK AND FORTH, AND IT WOULD WORK ITSELF OUT. IT WAS FINE FOR A COUPLE DAYS BUT WENT BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS SHORTLY THERE AFTER. FINALLY, A FEW WEEKS AGO, WHILE ON MY WAY TO THE AIRPORT TO PICK UP A FRIEND, I WENT TO TURN THE HEAT ON AND THE KNOB JUST SNAPPED OFF. THIS TIME WHEN I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME SINCE THE ROD THAT CONNECTED THE KNOB TO THE GEARS INSIDE WAS WHAT SNAPPED IT WOULD BE ABOUT $500-$600 TO REPAIR. HE EVEN ASKED WHY I NEVER HAD IT LOOKED AT AND FIXED BEFORE IT SNAPPED OFF. I TOLD HIM I DID NUMEROUS TIMES AND WAS BLOWN OFF EACH TIME. BUT NOW THAT IT WAS AN ACTUAL PROBLEM . THEY WERE WILLING TO FIX IT FOR A FEE OF COURSE. UPON DOING SOME RESEARCH I REALIZED THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THEIR LANCERS, AND HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS TRYING TO GET IT FIXED. THIS WAS THE CAUSE FOR COMPLAINT. THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO FIX IT. WHEN I MENTIONED THE PROBLEM NUMEROUS TIMES WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY. NOW THIS HAS TURNED INTO A COSTLY PROBLEM THAT I BELIEVE IS A DEFECT IN THE VEHICLES. *AK

THE HOT/COLD SWITCH BROKE OFF. SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO TURN THE SWITCH FOR TEMPERATURE CONTROL. BOTH KNOBS ARE DAMAGED AND NOW IM NOT ABLE TO CONTROL THE DIRECTION OF THE AIR NEITHER THE TEMPERATURE. THIS HAS TO BE A MANUFACTURE DEFECT SINCE. DURING MY RESEARCH ONLINE I'VE FOUND MANY SIMILAR PROBLEMS LIKE THIS ONE. MITSUBISHI SHOULD MAKE A RECALL AND FIX IT . *TR

MY P300 ERROR CODE COMES ON MY LANCER EVOLUTION RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING AROUND. *NM

THE HEATER CONTROL KNOB (HOT/COLD ADJUST) WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN. THIS WAS NOTED TO THE DEALERSHIP AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR. IN ADDITION, THE MAGAZINE, MOTORTREND, IDENTIFIED THIS ISSUE IN ITS REVIEW OF EVO VS STI. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE PART WAS KNOWN TO SOMETIMES STICK BUT WOULD BE FINE. ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO, 12/4/11, THE KNOB COMPLETELY BROKE OFF. THE ISSUE WAS COVERED BY A TSB, HOWEVER, THE DEALER DID NOT STATE THAT THE ISSUE WAS KNOWN TO HAVE A FIX. THIS IS A COMMON CAUSE FAILURE FOR ALL 03 LANCERS AND OUTBACKS. THE MANUFACTURE HAS CHOSEN NOT TO ISSUE A RECALL, BUT IS CURRENTLY WAITING UNTIL THE PART COMPLETELY FAILS AND HOPES IT HAPPENS AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRES SO IT WILL BE COVERED BY THE CUSTOMER. THIS ISSUE CAUSES 2 PROBLEMS. ONE, IF IT IS SELECTED TO COLD, YOU CANNOT DEFROST THE WINDOW UNLESS YOU REACH UNDER THE DASHBOARD TO ADJUST TEMPERATURE, OR, US A PAIR OF PLIERS TO ADJUST THE DIAL, AND THUS CREATING A SIGNIFICANT DRIVING HAZARD. TWO, FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT THE KNOB HAS NOT BROKEN OFF, IT CREATES A HAZARD BY FOCUSING THE DRIVERS ATTENTION MORE ON CLIMATE CONTROL AND NOT ON THE ROAD. THE TSB THAT WAS ISSUED DOES FIX THE PROBLEM BUT SO FAR, MITSUBISHI WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL ON THEIR DEFECTIVE PART NOR INFORM THEIR CUSTOMERS IF A FIX FOR A PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED ISSUE BECOMES AVAILABLE. *TR

MY VEHICLE HAD REPEATEDLY SHOWN A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FOR A MISFIRE CODE. EVERY TIME I GET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT,THE CAR VIBRATES AND LOSES AT LEAST 45% POWER. I FEEL THAT THE CAR IS VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR FOR DIAGNOSIS 7 PLUS TIMES. HELL, THEY EVEN REBUILT THE ENGINE IN AN ATTEMPT TO FIX THE PROBLEM! THAT OBVIOUSLY DID NOT CURE THE PROBLEM. NOW I AM OUT OF WARRANTY.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION IN A RAINSTORM, I ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE LOSS OF ACCELERATION MULTIPLE TIMES. RESULTING IN ERRATIC BEHAVIOR OF THE CAR.*AK OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS IN THEIR LANCER EVOLUTIONS DOCUMENTED HERE: HTTP://FORUMS.EVOLUTIONM.NET/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=&THREADID=34867